News: With his expected move to the starting rotation this season, White Sox RP Chris Sale will have his outings monitored during the upcoming season. Sale has served out of the bullpen during his two years in the majors and has not pitched more than 71 innings in a season. "What's the worst thing that could happen to Chris Sale? He gets hurt," Chicago pitching coach Don Cooper said Saturday. "So we're going to do everything in our power not to let that happen. We have control over that to a large degree. How do we have control? Watching the workloads, watching how many sidelines he has."
Analysis: Sale worked a starter during his time in college, but transitioned to reliever to expedite his ascension to the majors. The left-hander is an overpowering pitcher and has recorded 111 strikeouts in 94 1/3 career innings. "There's going to be uncertainty in any guy's first year starting in the big leagues because it's a huge challenge," Cooper said. "But he has pitched as a starter his whole career." Sale will also carry RP eligibility into the season and should be viewed as a potential late-round pick in most Fantasy drafts for 2012.
News: New Minnesota OF Josh Willingham said he is eager for the challenge of moving to right field for the upcoming season, according to MLB.com. Willingham signed a three-year contract with the Twins last December after playing with Oakland last year. "Hopefully this spring I'll just get a lot of reps out there and get comfortable," Willingham said Friday. "That's the goal. Playing on the opposite end of the field, it's different, the way the balls come off the bat, so it'll just take a little bit of time to get used to."
Analysis: Willingham will have to adapt to another position after serving in left field for the majority of the 2011 season with the Athletics. He has started only 33 games in right field over his eight-year career. But Willingham still remains a strong power source and clubbed a career-high 29 home runs last season. He moves to spacious Target Field, but is still worthy of a selection in the later rounds of most Fantasy drafts for the upcoming year.
News: Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire proclaimed veteran Jamey Carroll as the team's starting shortstop for the upcoming season, according to MLB.com. Gardenhire made the endorsement Friday. "I'm just going to come in ready to play wherever they tell me to go, that's what I'll do," Carroll said. "I'm looking to win the shortstop job and try to play every day. That's always been my goal, and I don't think there's a guy in here who doesn't want to play every day."
Analysis: Carroll joined the Twins last November after hitting .290 over the past two seasons with the Dodgers. The 37-year-old signed a two-year contract and will provide a veteran presence at a middle infield position that lacked production for Minnesota last season. He doesn't possess much upside at his age, but could be a cheap source for stolen bases in deeper AL-only Fantasy formats for the 2012 campaign.
News: Texas signed OF Kyle Hudson on Saturday. Hudson was signed to a minor league contract with a major league invitation to spring training. Hudson was just let go by the Baltimore Orioles.
Analysis: Hudson made his big league debut last season with the Orioles. He played in 14 games and saw 28 at-bats. Hudson managed four hits with two RBI and two stolen bases. He doesn't have a whole lot of upside and has little Fantasy appeal heading into spring training.
News: Braves OF Jason Heyward blamed at least part of his struggles last year on his conditioning and inability to remain healthy, reported MLB.com. "I knew how I felt," Heyward said. "I knew what I could and couldn't do. My swing got altered. I changed my hands to make up for the shoulder by changing my base load approach, and that got me more out of line. I know I have to go to spring training in the best shape possible. If I do that, I am healthy and there are no issues, then I can do what I need to do -- show up and just play baseball."
Analysis: Heyward's swing this upcoming season should be way more in line with what it looked like his rookie year when he hit .277 with 18 homers and 72 RBI over 520 at-bats. Heyward took a step back last season due to the injuries and his other issues. He was considered the top prospect in baseball entering 2010 and was voted into the All-Star game as a rookie that year. Though an inability to stay healthy is an issue for the 22-year-old, talent is not. Coming off such a disappointing season, he could be available outside the top 40 outfielders in Fantasy, which could make him the steal of the draft if he lives up to his potential.
News: The Chicago Tribune reports that Cubs OF prospect Brett Jackson believes he is "big-league ready." He also acknowledged that he still has some work to do in order to convince the Chicago brass of that fact. "My approach is I have a really great opportunity and I'm going to try as hard as I can to seize it," Jackson said. "That being said, there are a lot of decisions outside my control. I think I'm big league ready and I'm 100 percent confident in my abilities."
Analysis: The Cubs don't seem to be in a rush to promote Jackson, though he has shown an impressive combination of power and speed thus far in his first two minor league years. Jackson would have to leap frog Marlon Byrd or David DeJesus to make the major league roster at some point, but that could happen at some point in the near future. For now, Jackson remains just a long-term product with upside. His Fantasy day will come, but it won't be to begin 2012.
News: Twins C Joe Mauer told MLB.com on Saturday that he's fully healthy and ready for the season. "The knee's been feeling great," Mauer said during a TwinsFest appearance. "The last year and a half, just trying to compensate for that kind of took a toll on my whole body. I don't think it's going to be an issue. I'm feeling good, so I'm excited. This is the best I've felt in a long time. I'm excited about that." Mauer says he's 100 percent healthy.
Analysis: Mauer missed two months early last season with bilateral leg weakness, but he lacked the ability to drive the ball even after he returned. He also missed the final two weeks of the season because of a bout with pneumonia. Now that he's had an offseason to rebuild the strength in his legs, he should come closer to his usual elite numbers, provided he stays healthy. Even at less than 100 percent last year, he could still hit, compiling a .312 batting average from July 1 on. Coming off a down season, Mauer will likely drop outside the top five catchers in Fantasy, but he's a potential early-to-middle-round bargain on Draft Day.
News: MLB.com reported Saturday that Minnesota 1B Justin Morneau (concussion-related symptoms) still feels some numbness in his left index finger at times. The report said that could take up to two years to fully go away. The numbness seems to be the result of the nerve problem in his neck, which he underwent surgery for.
Analysis: The concussion symptoms continue to be the scariest prospect for Morneau entering spring training, but the 1B also underwent surgeries on his knee, foot and wrist in 2011. He is a banged up player right now and one who's value in Fantasy is at a low. The Twins have said he'll play 1B if healthy, so he's well on his way to that end. Clearly, Morneau is a risk entering 2012, especially since he didn't produce anywhere close to his usual numbers last year, but the former AL MVP is still worth a late-round look for the possibility of a bounce-back season.
News: Rumors that there was just about a done deal between the Cardinals and SP Roy Oswalt on Friday were untrue, according to MLB.com and the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis GM John Mozeliak said Saturday that there was no impending deal with Oswalt.
Analysis: There were multiple reports Friday that suggested that there was a deal close with the Cardinals. ESPN.com reported that Oswalt wants to remain in the National League, and is "likely" to sign with St. Louis. Other teams reportedly interested are the Rangers, Astros and Red Sox. Regardless of where he lands, Oswalt would be at best a No. 4 Fantasy SP given his chronic back woes and declining numbers.
News: Baltimore signed OF Cory Aldridge to a minor league contract on Saturday.
Analysis: Aldridge is a career minor league player and doesn't carry much Fantasy value into the season. At best he could be a reserve OF for the O's this season. At worst, he never even sniffs the majors.
